Childhood Promise
by XTidusX
Summary: AU Fic! Tidus and Yuna were childhood friends, when they were five, Tidus had to move to another city. 12 years later, they meet in highschool. Will they be reunited, or be forgotten by the other? Used to be Zanarkand High!
1. The New Guy

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters! Squaresoft does! Sue me not!!!

Summary: *AU* Fic! Tidus and Yuna were childhood friends, when they were five, Tidus had to move to another city. 12 years later, they meet in highschool. Will they be reunited, or be forgotten by the other?

An introduction to the characters before the story!

Tidus: He's 17 years old and he's a freshman in Bevelle high. As always, he's always cheerful and plays blitzball. (Ace player of Bevelle high) Excels in all subjects. Not to mention damn rich as well! Apart from being rich, he's one of the youngest guy who has appeared in the TIMES magazine. He and Yuna were childhood friends, they made a promise to meet again someday, but as years passed, he forgot her name and what she looks like.

Yuna: She's also 17 and a freshman (should I say woman?) from Zanarkand high. She has a cheerful personality. She loves helping people out. (It's so easy to get along with her.) She was Tidus' childhood friend. When they promised to meet in the future, she gave Tidus a bracelet symbolising their friendship. She, too, forgot what her childhood friend's name was and how he looked like.

Rikku: She's 17 as well…(I made her 17 anyway…) studying in Zanarkand high, she's usually the hyper active one. AND, the manager of the blitzball team will be her! (I just love her! She's so energetic and fun to be with, she's so cute when she does her victory pose!)

Lulu: 18 years old, sophomore in Zanarkand high. Top student in school. (Whoa…smart one!) Gets angry easily… *gulps* (Short fuse…) But she's not difficult to get along with. A good friend and an elder sister to both Rikku and Yuna. One more thing, she loves dolls…(not dolls actually, but plushies of moogles, and all that…)

Wakka: A sophomore as well, friendly to many people. Sometimes, he's loud but overall, he's not a bad guy. Of course, he has a thick besaidian accent. Captain of the Blitz team in Zanarkand High. A great friend to be with. Not to mention warm-hearted… (Bad description =( )

Kimahri: A young man often descibed as stoic. A senior in Zanarkand highschool. Excels in track and field. He's one of the most sought after guys in school probably next in line to our main character Tidus. Socialising has never been a thing for him. Although he rarely talks, he's a nice guy who cares about Yuna as an older brother would. Dislikes Seymour and will protect Yuna from him.

Jecht: Tidus' father. The coach of Zanarkand high. Likes taunting and teasing Tidus but deep in his heart, he cares for Tidus a lot. He owns a large interior design and contruction company and has opened a few CyberCafés. He was a national player in his youth. Though he was always a busy man, he took time off to coach the Blitz team of Zanarkand highschool. 

Auron: Jecht's best friend. On the outside he seems cold towards everybody but he cares a lot for his students. As far as Tidus is concerned,  he is supposed to take care of Tidus but Tidus insisted on living on his own. So he became a teacher…

Braska: Father of Yuna, a lecturer in Bevelle college. His wife passed away when Yuna was only six. Although he was grief-stricken, he brought Yuna up single-handedly. His friends, Jecht and Auron always liked to pay him visits when they were free. But after Jecht moved away from Zanarkand, they had lost touch over the years.

Seymour: Aha! The bad guy comes! He's 18, a sophomore in Zanarkand High who loves 'taking care' of freshmen.Welcoming them with open arms was never his style. He prefers welcoming the freshmen the hard way of course…He knows Yuna since they were young, but Yuna here doesn't like him because of his ways of doing things.

Gatta(Not one of the crusaders): One of Seymour's muscle-bound cronies. Enough said.

End of character introduction! Here comes the first chapter!

Chapter One:

A boy and a girl, 5 years of age was playing alone in the playgrounds. "Hey Tidus, will we still be together when we grow up?" the girl asked innocently.

"I don't know. Maybe, maybe not." Five year old Tidus answered, while thinking. "I know! We'll have a special item that'll prove our friendship is everlasting! And if we _do_ get separated, we'll remmeber each other when we meet again!"

"It's a great idea! But what shall we get? Hm…I know! Mommy gave me these, I have two, so I'll give you one!" the girl replied once again.

Young Tidus walked slowly away from the playground and soon, the girl and playground faded away. In front of him, was a truck loading furnitures onto it. "When will we meet again?" a girl asked him.

"I don't know. Let's promise, we'll meet again someday. I'll always treasure this bracelet. When we grow up, we'll meet again at our secret place! I promise." He whispered into her ears.

"Promise! Let's shake our pinkies!" The girl held her finger out. And Tidus took it in his. "Goodbye. We'll see each other soon!" Young Tidus said to the girl, who surprisingly kissed him on the cheek and blushed. "Seeya!"

The scene changed and now in sight, was a starlit beach.

On the beach, there stood 18 years old Tidus, strolling along the beach with a girl, holding her hands.She was wearing the bracelet similar to what Tidus had. The girl stopped in her tracks and slowly turned to face Tidus. Unfortunately, the shadows were in the way, preventing her face from being seen.

The teenage girl said, "Tidus, I love you…"

"I love you too…" He replied, the light was about to shine upon her face when…

*****BRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGG*

"Ahh!!!!!!!! Okay,okay, I'm up!" Tidus jumped out of bed immediately when the alarm clock rang. 'Holy crap! Today's the first day of school and I'm almost late!'

Changing into a yellow shirt and a pair of baggy jeans, (a/n: I not really good at describing clothings. Oh well…) and took the bracelet Tidus had since he was five and put it into his schoolbag. He then went into the kitchen and ate some toast and rode to Zanarkand High, the new high school he was supposed to transfer to. 'I'm dreaming of her again. It's been years since we met, I wonder if she still remembers me?' At the entrance, he saw a huge building. 'Whoa, I didn't know that the school's this big. It's even bigger than Bevelle.'

~Yuna~

A boy and a girl, 5 years of age was playing alone in the playgrounds. "Hey, will we still be together when we grow up?" Five year old Yuna asked innocently.

"I don't know. Maybe, maybe not." The boy answered, while thinking. "I know! We'll have a special item that'll prove our friendship is everlasting! And if we _do_ get separated, we'll remmeber each other when we meet again!"

"It's a great idea! But what shall we get? Hm…I know! Mommy gave me these, I have two, so I'll give you one!" she replied once again.

He walked slowly away from the playground and soon, the boy and playground faded away. In front of her, was a truck loading furnitures onto it. "When will we meet again?" little Yuna asked the boy.

"I don't know. Let's promise, we'll meet again someday. I'll always treasure this bracelet. When we grow up, we'll meet again at our secret place! I promise." He whispered into her ears.

"Promise! Let's shake our pinkies!" She held her finger out. And he took it in his. "Goodbye. We'll see each other soon!" The boy said to Yuna, she kissed him on the cheek and blushed. "Seeya!"

On a starlit beach, there stood 18 years old Yuna, strolling along the beach with a boy, holding his hands. He was wearing the bracelet similar to what Yuna had. She stopped in her tracks and slowly turned to face him. Unfortunately, the shadows were in the way, preventing his face from being seen.

"Yuna, I love you…"

"I love you too…" His face was partly revealed… but she began to feel breathless and snorts came out instead of words. "Yunie! It's time to wake up!" Her cousin, Rikku was pinching her nose. "Okay,okay, I'm awake! Rikku, stop pinching my nose!"

"Heh, if I didn't do that, would you have woken up by yourself? We're almost late. Get changed and have breakfast." Rikku replied with a chuckle. Soon, she got changed and went down the stairs. After some pancakes, both girls left the house. "Wait, I forgot something. I'll go get it. Just wait for me here, I'll be right back." Yuna rushed into her room and took the bracelet off the table and put it in her pocket. "Hey Yunie, I don't understand, why do you have this bracelet with you all the time? It's not clad in gold. I don't see why it is so precious to you."

"Well, it's something I've had since I was 5. I made a promise with my childhood friend to meet when we grow up and this bracelet is supposed to help us recognise each other if we ever meet again. And he moved from Zanarkand when we were 5.

"Anyway, Yunie, what were you dreaming about? I heard you muttering in your sleep." Rikku asked with an unmistakable mischievous grin across her face.

Fidgeting uneasily, Yuna blushed and quickly replied, "It's nothing! Really…"

"Hmm…has it got something to do with Seymour? Or is it someone else?"

"No! Rikku, how many times must I tell you that I do not like Seymour?"

"I was only joking Yunie. So who is it? Someone that I know?"

"No, I don't even know who he is. Actually, I didn't even see his face, to be honest." 

"What? You don't even know how he looks like? I must meet this guy, he has got our Yunie fallen in love with him and the best part is, she doesn't even know how he looks like or who he is." 

She blushed. 'I can only remember that his messy blond hair and the cerulean eyes… I've been having this dream for some time now. I wonder what it means.'

"Oh… Hey, here we are!"

Walking along the school corridor, Tidus saw Rikku. He walked up to her and said, "Excuse me, I'm new here. Can you please tell me which is the way to the homeroom, because everybody seems to be just staring me."

"So you're the new guy everyone's been talking about! You're heading for the homeroom? Me too! Let's go together then! By the way, my name's Rikku! What's yours?"

'Wow, what an energetic girl!' "My name's Tidus. Nice to meet you!" He scratched the back of his head.

"Wait a minute… I've heard of your name somewhere. I guess I'll remember after a while!" She chirped and as for Tidus, he had never seen a girl this energetic before and he was greatly surprised by this.

They went into the homeroom and gasps were heard from some girls and some of them even went up to talk to Tidus. Most of the other girls were whispering and giggling among themselves and looking at Tidus frequently. When the teacher came in, the class was much more quiet.

"Morning class, I'm your homeroom teacher, Miss Miyazawa. Let us start the lesson now. But before that, will you please come up here?" she said, motioning for Tidus apparently. "Before we start the lesson, I would like you to meet our new student. Ok, now introduce yourself to the class."

"Uh… hey there! My name's Tidus and I'm a transfer student from Bevelle high. I play blitzball although I'm mostly busy from helping out at my dad's company."

After Homeroom…

"So you're the youngest guy that has ever appeared in the TIMES magazine! But why transfer here? You could've attended any other posh highschools!"

"That's because I don't want to attend them. I just want to be a normal 17 year old teenager…" He paused and changed the subject, "anyway, what's your next class? I have… Biology." Tidus said as they exited the Homeroom.

"Me? I have History, it's really boring. I don't really like the teacher. He's so… Strict!" Rikku complained. "Oh, right! You're joining the Blitz team, right? I'll meet you after school, okay?"

"No problem! We'll meet at the canteen then!"

"See you later then!"

After all that talking, he realises that he's late for the next class. "Ah! I'm late!" He starts running towards the Biology Laboratory. But unfortunately, "Ouch! I'm sorry, I should've seen where I was going!"

He bumped into a girl. He looked up, and saw a girl with light brown hair and a pair of eyes which are emerald and sapphire coloured. Quickly, he stood up and helped her with the books which were now lying on the floor.As they reached for the same document, their hands brushed against each other and they drew their hands back immediately.

"So-sorry, I didn't mean to-I mean-" Tidus tried to explain. But the girl silenced him by saying, "No, it's okay. Aren't you supposed to get going? I mean, you said you're late for the next class, aren't you?"

"Right! I have Biology now! I have to go now! Sorry for taking up your time. I'll see you again, I guess."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Tidus started running towards the next class. 'Dang! I forgot to ask her name! Who is she? I have to admit, she's kinda cute. But somehow, that pair of eyes look oddly familiar as well…'

Reaching the Biology Lab, he knocked and opened the door only to find no teacher in the room. 'Where is the teacher? I sure am late, but I don't think that he's later than me.' He scanned the room and walked into it.

Walking into the room he saw a sophomore with spiky hair putting his legs on the desk talking to some muscle-headed guys. Tidus saw a seat behind the spiky headed guy and started to walk towards him. He doesn't really like the look of the guy but he has no choice but to sit behind him as it was the only seat available. But then, things aren't going so well for him. "Ouch!" It was one the muscle-headed guys, he had stretched his leg out on purpose to trip Tidus but the sophomore from the back caught him and just when Tidus was about to mouth a 'thank you' to him thinking 'It seems that this guy isn't that bad after all', he punched him in the stomach. "Ouch! What's that for?!" 'He looks really familiar to me…'

"That, was for touching my girl…" The sophomore spoke, "and remember, my name is Seymour. Of course, I guess you wouldn't forget my name anytime soon, will you? I heard that your company is doing quite well, I wish you luck in your business." 

'I knew it! He's the guy from the competing company! Seymour Guado!' He thought. "What the? I didn't touch your girl! Heck, I don't even know who she is!"

"Oh! And before I forget, this, will be the first, and last time you talk to her." He scowled.

"But I-" Before Tidus can finish that sentence, the teacher came in and told everyone to settle down. 'I've made a new friend and a new enemy here… I just hope that I have more friends than enemies here.'

The lesson is quite interesting. They had to bisect a mouse, with a partner.Tidus' partner was Kimahri, a guy with silver coloured hair(a/n: and no… he's not a Ronso in this story. He's a human here!). Thinking that it's boring only to be bisecting and not talking, Tidus tries to stirke up a conversation in between, "Hi, my name's Tidus, what's yours?" "Kimahri." The boy says and held out his hand for Tidus to shake it. 'He looks quiet. I guess he's the type they say stoic.' At the end of the lesson, Tidus went to the canteen for a short break and met up with Rikku and some other guys. One of them was a redhead who had his hair held up by a blue bandana. He was talking to Rikku as Tidus walked over to them. "Hi there Rikku, they're your friends?" 

"Hey there, brudda. I'm Wakka, Cap'n of the Blitz team. I heard from Rikku here that you're planning to join us, ya?" Wakka spoke in a heavy Besaidian accent. 

"Yup! You're short of one player, right? I play the Left Forward. Any vacancy for that?"

"Of course! We're short of the Left Forward!" Ropp said. (a/n: This blitzball team is made up of the team I had in the game. So the other Aurochs have to be somewhere on another team…) "Sorry, I'm Ropp. I play the midfielder."

"And I'm Kevin, or you can call me Brother or Aniki. It's my nickname, I wouldn't mind if you called me Kevin. I play the Right Defender." 

"I'm Navara, you can call me Nav for short, I like that better anyway. I'm the Left Defender! Nice to meet you." 

"And last of all, me. The name's Nimrook! I'm the keeper of the team. And the best there will ever be." He joked. Some members laughed and said, "who're you kidding?"

"Now that we have all introduced ourselves, it's time for you to give yourself a proper introduction, brudda."

Tidus, stood up, and went to the end of the table and gave a tiny speech. "Okay, my name's Tidus. I'm a tranfer student from Bevelle high. Due to some circumstances, I requested to transfer to Zanarkand High. I play the Left Forward, and believe it or not, I'm the whiz kid!"

"You…You're THE Tidus that appeared on the TIMES magazine, aren't you? It's no wonder why you look so familiar! That's way cool!" Brother exclaimed.

"So you know Rikku and the others." A familiar voice came behind him, he turned around and saw Kimahri. "Hi Kimahri, you already knew Rikku?" 

"Yes. We came from the same elementary school and junior high school. We've known each other for almost 10 years now. Rikku, where's she? Still busy with her work again?"

'Wow, that seems to be the longest sentence I've heard from him…'

"Yeah, Yunie's always so hardworking even though she's almost late for school almost everyday."

"Aren't you guys forgetting about me?" A girl with raven hair and red eyes asked. 

"Y-yo, Lu!" Wakka suddenly stiffened. "Tidus, this is Lulu. Lu, this is Tidus." Wakka said, reddening every moment since Lulu had sat down next to him. 'Oh…so Wakka's got a crush on Lulu here. I'll talk to him when I get the chance.' Tidus grinned. 

"Hi, Lulu. Nice to meet you." He offered his hand. 

"Pleasure." She said as she shook his hand. 'It seems that studying here and blending in with people here isn't that hard afterall.' He thought.

"By the way…" Tidus had wanted to say something but decided against it because this Yunie they're talking about, he'll meet her sooner or later. "Hey, let's tuck in. We're all rather hungry now."

~Yuna~

"Hey there Yuna!" said Seymour as he entered the Geography classroom. While looking around him, he sneered at almost everyone he sees except for Yuna of course. "You wanna go out for lunch?"

"No, thank you for your concern but I have some work to do here." Yuna replied without looking at him. 

"But I've come to pick you up, come on, I don't want to be disappointed…" Said Seymour. 

"But," She looked up and saw a pleading expression on his face and thinking about not wanting to disappoint people, she said, "Alright, but just for awhile. I have lots of homework waiting to be done." (a/n: You guys know Yuna's personality, she doesn't like to disappoint others, and she likes to help people…) 

"Shall we go then?" Seymour asked and smirked at his cronies at the door.

Yuna walked out of the classroom and headed for the canteen. Seymour reached out for her and as draped his arm around her shoulder (a/n: Why that no good rotten son of a shoopuf!), Yuna shuddered at his touch, but daren't make any moves to shift away. Although she was uncomfortable with it, she had to bear with it. 

~Tidus~

"Now that we're fed and watered, (a/n: In case you guys are wondering, this line belongs to Dumbledore from Harry Potter. Fourth book I think…whatever!) let's go. What's your next class, Wakka?"

"I have Maths next. It's so darn boring." Said Wakka with frown, "The new Maths teacher is so strict with us! On top of it, he gives us lots of homework as well."

" You have Maths? Let me see… I have Maths as well. My Maths grade isn't that bad I guess." 

"What about you, Lu?" Wakka asked, trying to talk causually.

"I have History next."  
  


"And I have Biology!" Rikku winced, "we get to bisect animals again! And I certainly do not like that!"

"Aw… come on Rikku, it's not that bad afterall… Look on the bright side, you get to understand more about the animals' body organs and functions."

"Hmph!" Rikku walked away towards the Biology Laboratory.

"Let's get going then."  
  
Lulu headed for the History class and Tidus and Wakka were going to the Maths class. They opened the door and went to take their seats. "So who's the teacher you're talking about? What does he look like?" Tidus asked curiously. "Well, it's better that you see for yourself. He's plain strict I'm telling ya and he gives lots of homework too!"

"Good morning class." A familiar voice rang throughout the classroom. Upon hearing that voice Tidus looked up and saw Auron walking into the class. 'Auron? What's he doing here? Isn't he supposed to be teaching at Bevelle high? I know, it must be the work of my old man _again_.'

"Let's begin the lesson." Auron said emotionlessly and faced the board to write down the formulae for algebraic expressions. Tidus, on the other hand wasn't really paying attention to what Auron was saying. "Tidus, please pay attention to what I'm talking about now. It's important for the later chapters you're taking."

He snapped back into reality and replied, "Yes, Sir Auron." Maths class was indeed a bore. After the Maths class, Tidus told Wakka, "I'll be seeing you guys later in the canteen, do you still have any other classes?" 

"Nah, this is the last class, brudda. Where're you going? We'll be going to a CyberCafé later, it's our hangout. You going?" 

"Yup, we'll meet in the canteen first, okay?" 

"Okay, see you later, ya?"

With that, Tidus ran off to the Staff's office. 

"What is the meaning of this Auron? Dad sent you to 'take care' of me again? I'm a grown up! I can take care of myself! Can't you just leave me alone or something?" Tidus yelled at Auron outside the Staff's office.

"Hmph, Jecht told me to take care of you, but you insisted on living on your own. So I had to take care of you in another way. Anyway, you'll get used to it soon. Although you're my best friend's son, I won't hesitate to give you extra homework."

"Fine! Let it be then!" yelled Tidus as he walked away in a fit. 'Doesn't he understand that I don't want to be taken care of and be treated like a kid? I'm a grown up! I know what's right and what isn't… The reason I left Bevelle is because of that!' Calming down a little, he walked towards the canteen and met up with the others. 

"Took you long enough! Where were you?"

"Nowhere." He replied quietly not meeting anyone's eyes.

"Geez, you don't look so good. Are you feeling sick or something?" Rikku asked.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Let's get going, it's getting late." Tidus replied without looking at her in the eye. 

"How can we not care about you? We're pals, aren't we?" Rikku argued.

"Yeah, that's right brudda. If there's anything you need help with, just tell us. We'll be happy to help, ya?" Added Wakka with his heavy besaidian accent.

'I've known them for only a day. It seems that I've made really good friends here. The rest of the year shouldn't be hard as well.'

"It's nothing, really. Let's get going now shall we?" He asked shoving his hands into his pockets and looking at his feet not wanting to meet their eyes and walked ahead of them towards the Zanarics (a/n: very lame, I know.) "Whaddya reckon is wrong with him? He should be much more cheerful right? I mean, his personality doesn't look like the kind which is you know, sad…"

Walking into Zanarics, Tidus was greeted by the manager of the shop. "What has brought you here, young master?" The manager of the shop was a man in his forties and he was going bald. Wakka looked kind of surprised and said, "You mean, you own Zanarics?" Tidus only nodded. The man smiled at Tidus brightly and Tidus returned the gesture by saying, "Uncle Thomas,  I came here with a few friends of mine in school." He looked at Rikku and the others and Uncle Thomas followed suit.

"Young master, do you mean Rikku, Wakka and the others?" Uncle Thomas asked.

Tidus looked puzzled, "How did you know their names? I'm sure I didn't tell you their names." 

"Hey there Uncle Thomas! Long time no see! It's been a while since we've visited huh?" Rikku greeted the man cheerfully and actively as always.

"Yup! We sure haven't visited for some time!" Wakka added.

"Since you guys are young master's friends now, you can use the computers for free for the day. I only wished you will take care of young master for me and master…" He started to trail off. "Oh, please forgive my rude behaviour. The computers will be from number 198 to 210." 

"Roger that!" Rikku bounced off to the computers but she soon bounced back to the counter and said, "Uncle Thomas? Can I have the usual order please?" The man nodded and went back to his work. After a while, a man in a blue shirt came and set a plate of apple strudel and a cup of expresso beside Rikku. "Thanks a lot!" She squealed. 

Still thinking about his father and Auron, Tidus decided not to stay. He stood up abruptly, surprising Wakka and the others. "Hey brudda, where're you going?" 

"I remember there's something to do at the company. I'll see you guys tomorrow morning. Have a good time." Tidus said and turned and walked towards the door. 

"What's up with him? He doesn't look so good just now, ya?" Wakka asked, scratching the back of his head.

"You noticed it too? He doesn't seem ok to me, I think there's probably something wrong." Said Rikku, her eyes looking downcast. 

~Outside Zanarics~

"What's wrong with me? I can't seem to think straight. Just calm down, just as Auron said, I'll get used to it sometime." He muttered under his breath. "I need a place to calm down and relax, it has to be quiet too. Hmm… I wonder if _that_ place is still around? I'll go take a look I guess.'

~Yuna~

Seymour was following her when she walked to her locker. 'Can't he just leave me alone?'

"Hey Yuna, wanna hangout at my place?" Yuna ignored him and continued with packing her stuff. "Seymour, why don't you hangout with your friends. They'll be glad to." She said, looking over Seymour's shoulder where his cronies were. She walked away and Seymour turned back and glared at his cronies who seem to cower in fear.

"Hey boss, how 'bout we go to da pub nearby and hangout?" Gatta suggested. "Jimma and Datta are hangin' out there now."  
  
"Alright, let's go. You had better get better looking girls for me." Seymous growled, still angry that he was rejected by Yuna. They left the school shortly after.

'That Seymour, he's so persistent. I wonder when he'll ever give up.' Yuna thought to herself while heading back to the apartment which she and Rikku shared. On the way back she saw Seymour's cronies lurking around her apartment. 'When is he going to leave me alone? I've had enough of his sick cronies and gang. I guess I had better not go back first. I know, I'll go _there_.' With that, she turned walk away from her apartment.

~Tidus~

Tidus walked slowly up the hill where he and his childhood friend had discovered when they were young. It was quiet, calm and peaceful. The hill, being close by the sea had a wonderful scenery. He sat down on the grass and admired the scenery. The gust of the sea breeze sent the flowers waving softly. After a while, he lay down and closed his eyes enjoying the breeze. Few minutes passed, light snores were heard from the sleeping teenager who was admiring the scenery a while ago.

~Yuna~

Yuna walked passed shops and came to a quiet abandoned building. Behind that building, was a small hill near the beach. She passed the building and started walking up the hill. Remembering the time when she and her childhood friend used to play alone on this very hill. But it was before he left for another city. Returning to the place often helps remind her of the good times when they had fun together. The place somehow, is always soothing and she feels comfortable whenever she is on the top of the hill. Almost reaching the top of the hill, a light breeze glided pass, her short silky brown hair swaying in response. 

~Tidus~

On the other hand, Tidus, trembled lightly and stirred a little. He opened his eyes slowly and sat up. He looked at his watch, 'Wow, it's getting pretty late now. I guess I should go now' he thought. He walked towards the path where he first climbed up the hill. 'Hmm… since it's getting pretty late now, I might as well take a detour back, saves me lots of time.' He headed in another direction and started walking.

~Yuna~

The sunset is still as beautiful as ever. When they were still kids, they used to come here a lot. 'I wonder how he is now? Does he still remember me?' She sat down and watched the sun setting into the horizon. She closed her eyes and started to feel and breeze engulfing her and she smiled in content. "I wish he's here with me, watching the sunset like before." Thinking of the times he used to play with her, she lay down. Now that they have grown up, their personalities has probably changed due to the circumstances of the things or people they encounter over the years. (a/n: don't mind this paragraph, it's mostly nonsense.)

~Tidus~

He was back in his apartment and whistling the tune, To Zanarkand, which only he and his childhood friend knows. They had created when they were young. It was a secret tune between them. Their secret. Before he knew it, he fell asleep on his cosy bed in his room.

~Yuna~

Yuna, still looking far beyond the sea, looked up and saw stars shining and glimmering in the sky, taking their places in the night. 'I should go now. It's late.' She walked back to the apartment the she and her cousin Rikku shared. 'Great, that guy's gone now.' She walked into her room and lay on her bed thinking, 'The guy I saw this morning, he looks kinda familiar, I wonder if we met before. Better not think about anything now, I'm having school tomorrow.' She closed her eyes and soon, she fell asleep. 

Morning arrived and the sun rised slowly. "Wake up, sleepyhead!" said Rikku as she pulled the curtains apart. "We're going to be late!" Yuna jumped in an instant and ushered Rikku out of the door to change. 'Now I've done it! I shouldn't have gone to sleep that late!' She changed in her fastest speed and went down the stairs, only to find Rikku sitting at the dinning table having breakfast and taking her own sweet time spreading the butter on her bread. "Rikku, what are you doing? We're going to be late in a few minutes!" She asked frantically.

"Um…Sorry Yunie. I mixed up our schedules for today and tomorrow. Hehehehe…" Rikku smiles sheepishly while Yuna, was looking as if her eyes were going to pop out any minute. "Rikku! I can't believe you actually mixed our schedules up! I could have slept in…" She sighed. "Anyway, I'm hungry right now. Might as well have breakfast." 

~Tidus~

"Damn! I'm late! I'm really late!" Tidus woke with a jump and his cursing started to fill throughout the house. "Man, and the first class is Math! This is gonna be one heck of a day!" He ran out the door and rode off on his bicycle. He reached the school in less than half an hour, rushing into the Math class, meeting the stares from the class. Auron turned to look at him and said, "Go take your seat." He walked over to seat himself with Wakka, Lulu and Kimahri. "Morning guys." He greeted. "Morning, Tidus." The three said in unison. "Hey, where's Rikku? Not here yet?" Tidus inquired curiously. "No, she's having her class later, Yuna as well." Lulu replied. "Who's Yuna?" He asked. "Oh, she's Rikku's cousin. Stays with Rikku as well." Lulu replied. 'Now, where have I heard that name before? It sounds so familiar. Maybe I'll remember it sometime later, no use pondering overing it if I can't recall now.' "Pay attention…" Kimahri mumbled to Tidus when he saw him staring into space. "Yeah, Sir Auron's been looking at you for sometime now." Lulu finished for Kimahri. "Tidus! Answer this question." Auron motioned for him to go up to the whiteboard. He took a quick glance at the question. 'Hmm…not a problem.' He thought to himself and smiled inwardly. "The answer's y = 3ab+½ac² sir." He answered confidently. "Very good. You may return to your seat now." Auron said in a low voice. 'Good, he's made improvement.'

"Hey, you were barely paying attention in class! How the hell did you get that question right? I was working on it the whole time!" Wakka grumbled to Tidus right after the lesson. "Well, call it my normal instinct if you like." Tidus grinned. In the past, he didn't need to study to pass his grades.(a/n: call him a genius if you want. Although it's not like him, I made him a genius in my story. So there!) "That's not fair! I had to study real hard to pass my exams!" Wakka complained. "Enough of this. We'll be late for the next class if we continue this conversation." Kimahri said quietly. "He's right, let's go." Lulu interupted once again.

They headed off in different directions to their classes. On the way, Tidus bumped into someone. "Hey watch where you're going! Or are you too blind to see?" A gruff voice snarled. He looked up and came face to face with Seymour Guado, his rival, at both work, and school…

A/n: I got some of my ideas from Beyond Destiny! Of course, it's with the Author's consent. I'm sorry if my writing isn't good. This is my first attempt at an AU fic. Please go easy me in your reviews!


	2. Busted!

Disclaimer: Well… I told you that I don't own anything except this story and my computer!

Moonrider: Well… In this fic, I made freshmen 17 years old cos I like it. – Sorry for that lame excuse. As for the company… I'm not really sure yet. Maybe I'll think of something in the next chapter or so? Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed this story.

And to all other readers! Thank you all for reviewing and reading this weird little fic of mine! =)

Chapter Two:

'Does it always have to be him? I'm gonna be late for the next class!' Tidus thought to himself. "I'm sorry for knocking into you like that. But I'm kinda in a hurry now, would you please let me pass?" He said to Seymour. 

"I'm afraid not, Mr Mizuhara. You'll have to come with me." Seyomur said in a rather calm tone and motioning for Gatta to grab Tidus with him. Some of the students in the school who saw them didn't even dare to take another glance at Seymour's gang for the fear of being treated in another 'special' way.

"Hey! Where're you taking me?! I'm gonna be late for my next class!" Tidus demanded from Seymour's gang although he knew he wouldn't be let off that easily. 'Damn these dimwits. I wonder what they're going to do to me.' He was being pushed into a corner by Gatta and some other guys. Tidus looked around and saw that he was being dragged into the school garbage dump. They shoved him in roughly and locked him in the dump. 

"Hey! Let me out!" Tidus protested as banged his fist against the door of the dump. "Damn it! This is no use! And it STINKS here!" He screamed at the top of his voice. He kicked the door hard, only to be returned with a swell on his toe. "Ouch! Damn it!" He cursed. Hearing the many sounds made by Tidus, Seymour's gang howled with laughter. As the sounds inside the dump die down, they found nothing interesting to laugh at and left Tidus in the garbage dump without letting him out. "Hmph… that's what you'll get for offending me." Seymour said to Tidus.

(a/n: and one thing… I'm sick of typing Seymour's gang this and Seymour's gang that. So I'm gonna give his gang a name. Any suggestions please put them in ur reviews thank you!)

He sat at the door and listened to what Seymour had just said. 'Damn him. I'm not going to let this matter rest unless I'm not a man! Just you wait Seymour, just you wait…' He thought to himself. Minutes passed and he was still trapped in the dump, Tidus only wished to get out sooner, for he is already late for his class. Deciding to do something instead of sitting there and doing nothing, he pounded his fist against the steel door and screamed at the top of his lungs hoping to get some attention. Little did he know that he isn't going to be released that soon from the stinking place.

"Man, is there really no other way to get out?" He muttered to no one in particular. He sat on the cold floor of the dump and began to think of the dreams he had lately.

~Tidus's POV~

The girl I've been dreaming about. I can't remember her name. All I remember about her is that she's that damn old man's friend's daughter. I used to play with her a lot before I moved away from here. Why is she appearing my dreams then? Haven't seen her for some time though, wonder how much she's changed? One thing I'm sure is that I can't recognize her for sure if I ever get to see her again. Well, there's one way of course. The bracelet she gave me, I still have it with me in perfect condition. Hah! Who knows if she'll still keep it? 

And man, it sure stinks in here. How do I get out anyway? And that damn Seymour, what has he got to gain by putting me in here anyway? It's really quiet here. Footsteps? Great, I'm saved! 

~End of POV~

The garbage man came by and unlocked the door to the dump. He was really shocked when he saw Tidus sitting down on the damp and cold floor of the dump. "You alright there, laddie? What're you doing in here, shouldn't you be in class now?" the man asked.

"I was thrown in here by some jerks. Thanks for letting me out," he paused to look at his watch, "I gotta run! I'll repay you some other time, thanks again!"

Tidus ran as fast as he could to the Chemistry Laboratory. When he opened the door to the lab, all heads turned to him and he found himself reddening every second passed. The teacher, Mr Masaki walked towards Tidus with a disgusted look on his face. 

"Mister Mizuhara, would you mind explaining why you were late, and why are you in this state?"

"I'm sorry sir. I…" Tidus paused, he thought of telling Mr Masaki the truth, but decided against it and said, "I was trapped in the garbage dump while I was disposing my stuff."

The teacher looked at him in disbelief and said, "alright, but be more careful next time, is that understood?"

"Yes sir." Tidus replied while scratching the back of his head.

"You may go back to your seat now." Mr Masaki said while turning around to resume teaching since the class had been whispering since Tidus's entrance.

"Class, you shall now pour the Hydrochloric Acid into the beaker and…"

After Chemistry…

"Hey brudda!" Tidus turned to see Wakka running towards him. "Geez, what's up with that smell? It stinks, ya? Where have you been to? The garbage dump?"

Well, he was right. He **had** been to the garbage dump all right. Of course, it's not his will to be there.

"Yeah. I was thrown in there. By Seymour and his gang. Those lamebrains sure know how to deal with people 'well'." He complained loudly.

"You just have to learn how to deal with those type of people. They'll never let you off this easily I swear." Wakka said to Tidus, who was still complaining about Seymour and those goofy sidekicks. 

Tidus sighed and walked off to the canteen where it was packed with students of the first, second and third year. The stench on Tidus's clothes couldn't be gotten rid of and he was getting stares from everyone as if he was a new exibition in the museum, not that many high schoolers knew to appreciate the artifacts of course.

They walked over to the table where the gang were sitting at. Tidus saw an unfamliar face and recognized the beautiful brunette sitting at the table with his friends. 'Hey, she's the girl I bumped into yesterday!' 

"Hey guys! Poor Tidus here got thrown into the garbage dump by Seymour and his gang of suckers!" Wakka said to the group.

"Man… no wonder I can smell you from a mile away." Ropp joked, the rest of the group just laughed and motioned for Tidus to sit with them.

Tidus, however, was not paying attention to what they said and was staring at the girl he just met yesterday. 'Why do I always get the feeling that I knew her for a long time?'

_Well…you have a promise to keep! Stop thinking about someone you just met yesterday! _

'What? Who's that? Stop talking in my head, will ya?' Tidus thought to himself after hearing the voice in his head.

"Tidus? Tidus? Hello, you there?" Wakka asked, waving his hands in front of Tidus.

"Wha…oh, sorry, didn't catch what you were saying. As you were saying?" Tidus asked, rubbing his neck showing signs of embarrassment.

Yuna, on the other hand, was thinking about the same thing.

"Uh… hi. Didn't get to know your name yesterday. My name's Tidus, you are?" Tidus asked politely, extending his hand to Yuna.

"Oh, I'm Yuna, pleased to meet you." Yuna took his hand and Tidus started to blush.

"You guys met? When? How come I didn't know anything about it?" Wakka started to make a big fuss about it.

"I sorta bumped into her when I was heading for the Biology Lab." Tidus explained while holding his hands in front of him protecting himself from Wakka.

After their lunch time, it was time to head to the classes again. Both Tidus and Yuna had Geography, Wakka, History, and both Lulu and Kimahri had Biology. On the way to the Geography class, both of them did not say a word.

'Why am I so nervous? I'm not supposed to act like that in front of someone whom I've just met! What about her? I promised to come back for her, could she have forgotten about me? Nah, that's impossible.' Tidus thought to himself while avoiding eye contact with Yuna.

In this awkward silence, Yuna opened her mouth to say something. "Are you new in this city? I haven't seen you before."

"Well, depends on what you mean by new. I moved away from here when I was five. But I've made a promise to a person to come back before. Although I can't remember her name, I think she'll remember me. We haven't met for years though, wonder how is she doing now?" Tidus told Yuna.

"I see. My childhood friend moved away years ago too. He said he promised to come back later. He was also five when he moved away. I gave him something which my mom gave to me. There's two of them, I gave him one, in case I can't recognise him." Tidus looked at Yuna, kind of surprised that the girl beside him had done the same thing as his childhood friend.

'Why am I telling so much about myself to a total stranger?' Tidus seemed so deep in thought, Yuna decided not to say a thing and continued their way to the classroom quietly. They opened the door to the classroom and found Seymour with his hands across his chest and resting his legs on his desk. 

'Not him again.' Tidus groaned and walked towards his desk slowly, carefully approaching Seymour with Yuna beside him. Surprisingly, Seymour did not touch him, or Yuna for that matter. No taunts came from him or his gang. Yuna sat diagonally in front of Tidus and was chatting with another girl. The sound of the door opening was heard and everyone stood up to greet the teacher. 

"Good afternoon, Mr Hiwatari." The class chorused.

"Morning, class." He grunted in response.

The Geography lesson was boring, as Tidus had already learned what the teacher had been teaching for the past few periods. He had gotten sick of Mr Hiwatari's lesson and turned his attention to Yuna. He stared at her for a long time, the way she concentrates in class, the way she copies the notes on the board. Yuna, turned to look at Tidus when the girl beside her whispered something in her ear. Oh no, he was caught staring at her when he wasn't supposed to. Tidus turned back to his book quickly and blushed really hard. He kept his gaze on his notes, hoping that Yuna hadn't notice the colour on his cheeks.

The bell rang soon after the awkward moment. He had been saved by the bell. He rushed out of the room quickly not wanting to be asked any questions.

A/n: Hi! I'm really really really sorry for not updating for a long time! I was having my exams period earlier on. It's now post exam period! Whoo-hoo! I'm so happy!!! I hope u guys can continue to read this story! I'll see u again sometime later!

Once again… please R+R!!! Thank you all!


	3. The Stress of handling a large company!

A/n: I'm really glad that u guys reviewed! Yes! The holiday I've been waiting for is finally here! I'm gonna write like there's no tomorrow! Er…Maybe not that much… Oh well! I'll updating soon again I hope! As for the company, I've thought of something finally! The company is in the heart Zanarkand! It's mainly dealing with games and other things! It's a company which is the fastest in making and producing **or **inventing new stuffs. U guys clear about that??? If not, I can explain it again. Ok, in this chapter, the characters may be a lil OOC, I hope you guys dun mind. :p

Disclaimer: Man… I hate this. Can someone do this for me?

*Everybody raises their hands except for Auron

Author: Maybe Auron shall do the disclaimer!

Auron: Why me? I didn't ask for it!

Author: Well…it's becos u didn't raise your hand! *LOL

Tidus: Hey! What about me? I'm the first to raise! No fair! *pouts

Author: Ok! I'll let you do it the next chapter!

Auron: Ahem! *Coughs pretty badly… Look, Tidus here doesn't own anything. Except for this story. **IF** u lawyers out there have nothing better to do, then sue him! It's none of my business anyway. Let me tell u this, you're not going to get anything out of him cos he's poor!

Tidus: Ok! On with the story!

Chapter 3: The stress of handling a large company!  
  


The day has ended awkwardly for Tidus. He walked out of the school and went back to his apartment and lied on his bed. Suddenly, his cellphone rang. He picked it up and answered.

"Hello?" The voice at the other end of the line said. It was a woman's voice, sounding to be around thirty years old.

"Yes? Tidus speaking." He answered into the phone.

"Mr. Mizuhara, this is Aoi speaking. We have encountered a problem with the contract that Mr. Yamazaki signed with the Honda Corp. Please return to the Headquarters ASAP, sir." The woman spoke calmly.

"Ok, I'll be right back. Give me a few mintues." He jumped out of his bed and changed into his suit. He took his briefcase and laptop with him and went to the parking lot at his apartment. 'What trouble has Yamazaki gotten us into now? I wonder why have I been keeping him in the company for so long.' He thought.

He got into his Sliver Subaru WRX GC8V and drove off. Being the youngest CEO of the largest company in Spira isn't an easy task. He needed to make decisions, and work overtime for the sake of more than 3000 employees in the company.

He reached the company and walked into the large building. 

"Good afternoon, Mr. Mizuhara," the employees greeted as they saw him. He only nodded grimly and went into the lift. He touched the button for the top floor, which was the 150th story. The lift was magnificent, it was like a small lounge. Four small sofa around a small coffee table. Tidus sighed and walked to the frigde to get some coffee. Sitting on the sofa, he slowly sipped his coffee and waited as the lift slowly went higher and higher. 'What's it with the Honda Corp. anyway?' He thought. 'They were our regular customers. And the head of the company is that old man's good friend. What can go wrong?'

The lift door opened and he stepped out of the lift. 

"It's great to have you here sir." Aoi his secretary said. She looked very young, although she was actually 33 years old. She was a graduate of Zanarkand University. A smart woman who'd give suggestions to Tidus whenever he was stumped by a problem.

"Where is Yamazaki? I want to see him now." Tidus sat in his office with his secretary standing in front of him with a pile of documents in her hands.

"I'm sorry sir. Mr. Yamazaki is currently on his leave. He will not be back for sometime. These documents need your signature sir. They're the documents for the new project coming up." Aoi explained slowly.

"Ok, try to contact Yamazaki ASAP. As for these documents, you can come in at around 10 minutes later. I'm gonna sort these out." He ordered. He started his work. He looked through each and every file he had on his table. He signed the documents gave to him earlier on after close inspections. Making sure that every document had been taken care of, he called for a meeting with the top executives later.

At the meeting…

"Ok, is there anything to report?" Tidus asked.

"Yes sir. The problem we have encountered with the Honda Corp., sir. They have been demanding to break the contract with us. The reason isn't stated clearly in their letter sir. And they have not explained the reasons themselves." Kinoshita said.

"I'll have a talk with the CEO of the company. I'll find out what happened. We have been on good terms with the company. It should be a big problem that caused them to break the contract off." He paused, "As for project D, we will have to put it on hold until we solve this problem, is that understood?"

All of them nodded and Fujima said, "Sir, we have another contract with the Leonhart Enterprise. They are inviting us to co-operate with them on a new game."

"Thank you, Fujima. I'll meet their representative on Friday. Take it down Aoi." Tidus once again ordered.

"About your proposal, Niwa, I'll reconsider it first. I'll tell you my decision in near future." He said to the man sitting on his right. "We have come to the end of the meeting. There will be another meeting on Saturday. Everyone have to be punctual, because I have something to announce on that day. It's has yet to be confirmed, but be prepared for what I have to say on Saturday. Dismissed." He finished.

He went back to his office and continued with his work. It was late at night and he rubbed his temples. 'It's hard…being the CEO at 17. What was the old man thinking? Handing it over to me last year. He was far from his retirement age!'

There was no one left at the building, except for the security guards. He was alone. He walked to the parking lot and drove off in his car.

On the way back to his apartment, he saw a guy trying to hook up a girl. The girl apparently didn't like it. Somehow, she looks like someone he knows. Tidus, being concerned for the girl stopped by the pub and walked closer towards the punk. The lamp-post revealed the face of girl, it was Yuna. 'What is she doing here?' He thought.

When the guy reached to pull her towards him, Tidus grabbed his hand and asked, "Aren't you being a little too rude to a lady?"

Yuna, looked up to see the face of her saviour. 'What's he doing here? In a suit as well…'

"It's none of your business, rich boy! You better keep your nose out of this!" The punk replied, quite drunk. 

"And what if I don't?" Tidus challenged him, not a hint of fear in his voice.

"You'll get this!" The man tried to punch Tidus squarely on the face, but he caught his fist in his hand and twisted it.

"What? This is all I get? I'm disappointed." Tidus smirked at the guy, and let go of his fist. 

Turning to Yuna, he said, "c'mon let's go."

They walked towards his car slowly in silence. Tidus broke the silence by asking, "How did you get yourself into that mess? And why were you there?"

"I don't know. I was knocking off from my workplace. This guy just came out of nowhere and grabbed me to the side. Thanks for saving me. I don't know what will happen if you hadn't shown up." Yuna replied, looking at Tidus in the eyes.

"And you're working at?" 

"I'm working at the flower shop down the street. I'm a part-time florist."

"It's dangerous for a girl to be out alone in the night. I'll give you a lift back. Get in the car." He spoke in a low quite tone, different from his behaviour in school.

They got in the car, while Tidus drove off. Yuna sneaked a peek at him.

'He looks so different. He's a friendly and shy guy in school. But a totally different guy at work. I wonder how he manages all the stress at his age. He isn't your average kind of guy who's a normal high school freshman.' Yuna thought to herself.

She slowly observed his soft features, those clear cerulean eyes shining brightly in the dull night. But his face looked tired and worn out. His breathing was slow and peaceful. She only stared into his clear blue eyes, wishing that she could stare into the pool forever. He turned his head suddenly, snapping her out of her reverie.

"Sorry." She muttered. She looked down at her feet, and blushed a crimson red, not knowing what else to say.

"Huh? Sorry for?" He asked.

No reply.

He decided to shrug it off. He continued driving and they reached her apartment in a few minutes. He realized that they lived quite close to each other. She tried to unbuckle her seat belt but failed to do so. 

"Here, let me help." He offered gently, in a different tone from earlier on. He leaned over and reached out for the seat belt. Their hands brushed together, and they blushed. It was only then that they realize that they were close. Too close for comfort. He stared into her sapphire and emerald coloured eyes. And she stared back. He felt her breath on his face and his heartbeat was beating at a fast pace. He leaned forward, closing his eyes slowly. She too, did the same. 

They leaned closer and closer…

The sound of breaking a glass bottle was heard. They snapped back into reality after hearing the sound. Both blushed really hard. They were not saying anything until Yuna opened her mouth and said, "Thanks for helping. I'm really grateful." She opened the door, and turned to face Tidus again, but he was hardly paying any attention to what she was saying. She leaned over to kiss him on the cheek, but he turned towards her unknowingly and their lips met. 

They pulled away instantly and Tidus apologized for what had happened.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to turn my head. I was just thinking about something." Tidus explained. _Thinking of you._ A voice in his head said. 'Wha…?'

"No, it's ok I guess. It's an accident. I have to go now. I'll see you in school tomorrow." She said to him quietly, the blush still on her face.

"Yeah, bye. See you in school." Tidus replied slowly.

~At Tidus's apartment~

He lied down on his bed again thinking, 'that felt pretty…good. Argh! What am I thinking? What about that girl?'

_You like her. Admit it._

'Who're you?'

_Me? It doesn't matter. You like the girl, Yuna. Just admit it. It was love at first sight._

'What the? I like my childhood friend! Not some girl I met a few days ago. Ok maybe I have a good feeling about her, but that doesn't mean anything… right?'

_Whatever, you just don't wanna admit that you like the girl._

'Just shut the hell up.'

He closed his eyes and thought,

_The kiss… although it was only a brush… it felt kinda good._

He gave a small smile.

A/n: So how was this chapter? Good? Bad? Or Terrible? I thought the first part was boring! But to hell with it! I dunno y I wrote it in the first place. U guys just HAVE to review! I'm not writing this for the reviews, but heck! I dun even know y the hell am I writing this story. Probably under the influence of my crush, who is currently my gf. But who cares? As long as u ppl like it. XD I'm just talking rubbish in this paragraph!

Rikku: He's just an irritating brat.

Author: Hey! I heard that!

Wakka: Hey, loosen up, ya?

Author: I'll see how u loosen up with LU beside u!

Wakka: *shuts up*

Author: lol, he's just too funny. Oh well. I gtg! See u guys again!


End file.
